Google Heads to UK Court to Defend £1.2 Billion Lawsuit Over 'Excessive' Play Store Fees

Google is heading to trial at London's Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) this week to defend a £1.2 billion class-action lawsuit over alleged excessive fees charged through its Google Play Store, one of the largest consumer tech antitrust cases ever heard in the United Kingdom.

The case, brought on behalf of around 20 million UK consumers and businesses, alleges that Google abused its dominant position by charging app developers commissions of up to 30% on purchases made through the Play Store — costs the claimants say were passed on to ordinary users in the form of inflated prices.

The claim is led by consumer rights advocate Elizabeth Coll, a consumer tech policy expert and former head of digital at Consumers International, and is being litigated by law firm Hausfeld, with backing from third-party litigation funders including Fortress Investment Group and Mubadala.

The class covers UK consumers who made purchases through the Google Play Store dating back to October 2015.

The central argument is that Google tied its billing system directly to the Play Store and restricted alternative app distribution routes, leaving developers little choice but to absorb the commission and pass the inflated costs on to users — effectively a hidden charge baked into everyday app, game and subscription prices.

If the claimants secure a full win, damages could yield an average payout of around £60 per affected consumer.

"Millions of us have paid for apps, games and subscriptions on our phones without knowing a hidden charge was built into the price," Coll said. "This trial is about getting that money back for people who use their phone and apps every day."

Google has consistently rejected the claim and says it will fight the case. A company spokesman argued that Android offers consumers more choice than any other mobile platform when deciding which apps and app stores to use.

"This lawsuit ignores that choice as well as the competitive market in which we operate, and we will defend our services vigorously," the spokesman said, adding that the Play Store offers some of the lowest fees in the market.

The defence mirrors arguments Google has made in other app-store disputes: that its commission funds a safe, well-maintained platform for developers and users, and that alternatives — from direct downloads to third-party stores — give both sides room to shop around.

The consumer case lands shortly after a parallel £260 million proposed settlement in a UK developer-led lawsuit, published in August 2026, in which Google agreed to compensate app developers without admitting liability or wrongdoing.

That settlement, still subject to CAT approval, was the fourth competition action against a major tech company at the tribunal since the start of 2025, following similar cases against Apple, Qualcomm and Sony.

Together, the two cases mean the fees Google charges on Android have now been tested in a UK courtroom from both sides of the marketplace — first by the developers who pay them, and now by the consumers who allegedly absorbed them.

The tribunal's ruling could also reverberate well beyond Britain, as regulators and courts around the world weigh in on how much power the dominant app stores should have over the prices users ultimately pay.